ADHERING TO STANDARDS IS CRITICAL TO KENYA’S MEAT TRADE SUCCESS

A predominant approach to address the meat nutrient deficiency involves meat quality assurance through effective meat quality testing and getting a meat safety certificate that is internationally recognised.

By Yvonne Nkirote

It is difficult to imagine international trade in meat and meat products without safety standards in place.

With today’s consumers being more informed about the quality of food they purchase, meeting the ever-evolving meat quality standards has become inherent with the onus left to individual countries to set national meat standards or risk being banned from international trade in meat and meat products.

Meat and meat products are the highest-risk category in the food industry that are known live carriers of food-borne diseases. Adhering to highquality assurance practices in the meat sector forms a strong basis for minimising zoonotic (livestock-to-people) diseases.

According to a 2021 study by FAO, more than two billion people worldwide suffer from what is commonly referred to as “hidden hunger” or micronutrient deficiency. Over the last two decades, there has been a significant reduction in food insecurity with the number of hungry or undernourished people decreasing from 18.7 percent to 11.3 percent.

It is anticipated that around 660 million people may still face hunger in 2030, in part due to the lasting effects of the pandemic on global food security. The increase in the world’s population continues to put pressure on maintaining a balanced diet in both the developed and the developing world.

According to FAO, good quality meat has the potential to reduce food insecurity and poverty among the pastoralist communities whose arid and semi-arid lands are best suited for livestock keeping and not farming.

Historically, meat and meat products are known to be a major contributor for protein-rich foods, a rich source of essential nutrients required for development and growth of the human body. Incidentally, meat production and processing provide employment and income generation in both commercial and informal farming sectors.

A predominant approach to address the meat nutrient deficiency involves meat quality assurance through effective meat quality testing and getting a meat safety certificate that is internationally recognised.

Contacted, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) which is mandated to promote product standardisation in industry and facilitate trade through standards development, conformity assessment, testing and metrology said it had developed several standards for various meat products for Kenya’s meat sector.

KEBS has formulated and released approved standards for meat sausages specification, minced meat specification, rabbit meat specification, dried meat specification, carcasses and meat grades specification for goat meat, pork and camel, among others.

The new meat standards that have since been adopted to become East African Standards enable dealers in various products to moot products based on standard requirements.

KEBS confirms that these standards are benchmarked against international standards where meat processors are engaged during the development of these standards both at the committee development stages and at the public review stages.

New players in the meat sector need to be equally invested in the standardisation process as this will set a basis for establishing a brand name for their meat business. It means having a robust quality assurance system and a good tie up with the best of the meat quality testing facility and meat safety certificate provider. Through government institutions like Kenya Bureau of Standards and Directorate of Veterinary Services, meat sector players are supported to ensure that the meat and poultry in their supply chains is processed to high standards.

KEBS adds that players can also moot new products and engage KEBS for formulation of new standards for specific products thereby enabling players to market their products locally, regionally, and abroad.